Snickerdoodles
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With their whimsical name and iconic tangy flavor, who can resist a snickerdoodle?
With their whimsical name and classic tangy flavor, snickerdoodles are impossible to resist. They are similar to sugar cookies, but with the addition of cream of tartar, which gives them their signature tang, and a sparkly cinnamon-sugar coating. Fresh out of the oven, snickerdoodle cookies are perfectly soft in the center and crisp on the edges. They are best enjoyed fresh, but you can revive day-old cookies by popping them in the microwave for a few seconds. Bookmark this snickerdoodle recipe for a fun family baking project—kids love to form the squishy dough into balls and roll them in cinnamon-sugar before baking.
“These cookies are so delicious, easy, and fast to make! I’ve been baking for a long time and these are the best snickerdoodles I’ve ever made.”
What You’ll Need To Make Snickerdoodles
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the base for the cookies. To ensure you’re using the correct amount of flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off.
- Cream Of Tartar: Adds a tangy taste unique to snickerdoodles.
- Baking Soda: Acts as a leavening agent.
- Butter: Adds richness, flavor, and moisture, creating a tender texture. Many snickerdoodle recipes call for a combination of butter and shortening, but I stick with all butter to give the cookies better flavor.
- Sugar: The majority of the sugar sweetens the cookie dough; a small portion is combined with cinnamon to create a flavorful coating for the dough balls.
- Large Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add moisture.
- Ground Cinnamon: Along with the sugar, provides the warm, spicy flavor characteristic of snickerdoodles.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl.
Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or hand mixer with beaters, combine the butter and sugar.
Beat until creamy.
Add the eggs.
Beat until combined.
Add the dry ingredients.
Mix until the dough comes together.
Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Pinch off tablespoon-size pieces of dough and form into balls. Roll the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar and then arrange them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for about 8 minutes, until puffy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make-Ahead, Freezing & Storage Instructions
These cookies are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are made. However, they can be reheated briefly in the microwave for that fresh-out-of-the-oven texture. The dough may also be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months: Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) The baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
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Snickerdoodles
With their whimsical name and iconic tangy flavor, who can resist a snickerdoodle?
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with 1½ cups of the sugar until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Using your hands, gather the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap (dust your hands with flour if the dough is sticky); refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix together the remaining two tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. Pinch off tablespoons of dough and shape into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, shifting the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
- Note: These cookies are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are made. However, the cookies can be reheated briefly in the microwave for that fresh-out-of-the-oven texture. The dough may also be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months: Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) The baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (56 servings)
- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 79
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Sugar: 6g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Sodium: 46mg
- Cholesterol: 15mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Awesome recipe, and easy to make too! Made for my bridge club, everyone wanted the recipe.
I don’t have an electric mixer. Are these measurements for mixer use only? It’s just me, my mixing bowls, and elbow grease! I’m making these for my coworkers so I love that the dough can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge.
Hi B, it will take some elbow grease but it will work. Please LMK how they turn out!
These are the best snickerdoodles I’ve ever made!
Thank you so much for sharing ❤
We recently lost my grandma in April of this year and it’s been very hard getting back into baking bc it was “our thing.”
I made these for my grandpa today (his fav cookie) and he ate 9 in a row! He said they were so good and his face lit up with a smile -which doesn’t happen too often.
Your recipes have brought so much joy to my family, please keep up the awesome content!
God Bless you & Merry Christmas!
💗
I was wondering what I can substitute for cream of tartar. Any Ideas?
Hi, You can get away with skipping the cream of tartar here. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Baking powder! 3 teaspoons of baking powder = 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar & 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
In preparation for Christmas, I like to make cookie dough ahead of time and freeze. Do you see any problems with freezing the dough balls?
Not at all. See the bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions. 🙂
My family and I absolutely love these cookies! Such an easy recipe, with perfect results each time. Thank you!
We made these bigger so our yield was half of what the recipe says. So so delicious!!! And they have stayed soft 4 days after.
These cookies are my go-to snickerdoodle cookie and are a hit with my son’s soccer team. They are slightly crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside when baked for 8-9mins. When we’re keeping them for ourselves, I typically divide the dough into 4-5 balls so that I’m able to freeze some of the dough for later use. There’s nothing like coming home to warm snickerdoodle cookies after school.
So yummy! Everything I’ve tried comes out delicious. The snickerdoodle cookies came out beautifully, full of cinnamon with a tender chewy bite. We loved it so much that we made ice cream sandwiches with them.
Jenn,
Can you please add the weight measurements to this cookie recipe. I have gotten so well trained to measure with my scale because it comes out perfect every time!!!
I love ALL of your recipes – your directions are so well written and in a logical order. I am working my way through your cookbook and your website. Almost done – ready for your next cookbook release!!!
Thanks,
Julie
Hi Julie, So glad you enjoy the recipes! If you look in the top right corner of the recipe, you’ll see a button that allows you to toggle between metric and cup measures.
Hi Jenn, my granddaughter, who follows a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, requested snickerdoodles for the holidays. I plan on using Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour and vegan butter sticks (Country Crock) in your recipe. I’ll chill the dough well. What do you think?
Hi Carol, I haven’t tried it with these alternatives so I can’t say for sure, but I suspect it should work. Please LMK how they turn out!